Titles


Titles are important to understand because of research papers. Here is a list of what you need to know when you use titles in your papers and in your works cited page.

  • Titles of short works (i.e. short stories and newspapers articles) should be enclosed within quoations: "A Rose for Emily"
  • Titles of books (i.e. your textbook) should be italicized: Literature: A World of Writing or Technical Communication

Before the latest version of MLA came out, it was okay to either underline a book's title or italicize it. That probably had to do with long transition from typewriters to full blown word processors. Now they have unifited that standard to italicized.

  • Titles of songs use quotations: "I Want to Hold Your Hand"
  • Titles of albums use italics: The White Album
  • Titles of poems use quotations: "Dulce et Decorum Est"
  • Titles of epic poems use italics: Beowulf
  • Titles of multi act plays use italics: Hamlet
  • Titles of one act plays use quotations: "Trifles"
  • Titles of magazine articles use quotations: "Coffee: Better for Us Than We Thought"
  • Titles of magazines use italics: Time
  • Titles of newspaper articles use quotations: "Cell Phone Laws Change October 1"
  • Titles of newspapers use italics: Carroll County Times and Frederick News Post